Then You Stand
by Moonsetta
Summary: A songfic. Leo's surrounded and fights but at the end have his brother's come too late to help the eldest hang onto life?


I read so many songfics. So I'm proud to say I've now written one. YAY!

I don't own TMNT and the song 'Stand' is by and belongs to Rascal Flatts.

* * *

Leo backed up and felt as his shell hit the wall. Great there was no way to escape. The black masks closed in around him becoming like a fog in his blurry eyes. They raised their swords and Leo's eyes widened just for a moment until he heard a voice in the distance

"Leo! Where are you!? Leo!"

"Raphael," he murmured.

Leo huffed and smiled, gazing over his enemy as a lion gazes fondly at it's evening meal.

_You feel like a candle in a hurricane_

_Just like a picture with a broken frame_

_Alone and helplessLike you've lost your fight_

_But you'll be alright, you'll be alright_

Leo rushed forward into the center of the circle of Foot ninjas and took a defensive but inviting stance. The first ring rushed inward and swords flew towards his head. Leo ducked and swept a few ninja off their feet before grabbing one of the ninja's swords to block a descending attack. He pushed the swords back as they continued to come at him until he saw an opening and sliced through five of them.

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause its all you can take_

Suddenly, a blow to his head sent him to his knees and he stared up to see no one other than Hun above him with a two foot thick pipe. Leo didn't bother to reach for the wound on his head, for it was already bleeding anyways. He took several deep breaths then the voice carried over the wind again.

"Leo!!!"

"Donatello," he thought.

Leo growled and jumped to his feet, dodging the pipe as it smashed into the concrete. He brought the borrowed sword around and cut into Hun's shoulder, making the muscle bound purple dragon scream out. Leo turned and tossed a few Foot soldiers over his head and crouched down as Hun turned back to him. He lashed out and Leo ducked even lower while sliding his blade across Hun's leg making him fall forwards. Leo rolled out of the way and raised the sword to catch another attack aimed at his head.

"Enough," Leo spat and swung the sword around to knock a Foot soldier into a row of others.

Then, the place was quiet and Leo smiled, despite the blood spilling form his own injuries. He got to his feet and dropped the blood soaked sword.

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

"Leo!" a voice called.

Leo went to call out as well but a force knocked him back towards the wall. He heard his shell crack underneath the pressure but he ignored it. He instead glanced around, trying to find who or what had hit him. Another hit sent him sideways and when his head hit the ground he was also hit with the answer, Foot Tech ninjas.

Suddenly, he was floating well being lifted up. When he was near the edge of the docks he reached for one of the two swords he knew the Foot Tech carried. His hand wrapped around the invisible hilt of the sword and he drove it into the form below him, unsure where he had stabbed them. He dropped to the ground and closed his eyes, there were at least 10 more from what he could hear.

_Life's like a novel_

_With the end ripped out_

_The edge of a canyon_

_With only one way down_

_Take what you're given before its gone_

_Start holding on, keep holding on_

He completely abandoned his sight and turned his mask sideway. He held still and relied on his hearing. He struck out with his sword and smiled at the sudden sound of the electric cloaking device shutting down. He continued until all 11 were down and either unconscious, dead or unable to move.

Then he turned and met the last Foot Tech's attack. This one had been standing in the shadows, not moving until he thought the turtle would be too weak to take him on. The Foot Tech easily gained an advantage and raised his sword to finish the turtle when a sudden pain went through his right leg. The turtle had stabbed the sword into his foot and it was bleeding profusely. Leo shot off his feet then knocked the ninja off the deck and into the water.

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause its all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

Leo dropped the invisible cloaked sword and fell to his knees, the blood loss was getting to him.

"LEO!" the voice shouted, frantic and full of fear.

"Michelangelo," Leo muttered before his sight began to darken.

When a group of figures surrounded him he tightened his resolve and got to his feet. He glared, when will the Foot learn that he doesn't give up? He ducked and then brought his arm up to avoid being cut by the dancing blades.

_Every time you get up_

_And get back in the race_

_One more small piece of you_

_Starts to fall into place_

_Oh_

He abandoned all hope applying logic to the situation and just grabbed for the nearest weapon, which turned out to be a chain. Leo jumped back and wrapped the chain around his arm to block a barrage of shurikens aimed as his throat. Unfortunately, the chain couldn't stop all of them. They stuck into the small gaps the chains had and drew blood from the turtle's arm. Leo dropped down and sent the heavy chain spiraling forward grimacing when he felt bones break underneath it. He turned and caught another sword attack and pulled the weapon to him.

"LEO!!!"

Leo glanced up, his brothers were there. Of course one Foot ninja saw the distraction and drove his sword forward, the blade hitting true and through into the turtle's plastron. While some jumped behind him throwing out their own chains to bind him. Leo fell to the ground and the air was knocked from his lungs.

"LEO! NO!"

"NOOOOOO!!!"

"LEO!!!!"

Leo growled and glared as he reached out for the final time and caught the foot of an enemy ninja. He yanked and the black dressed figure went backwards, off the dock and into the dark water.

_Cause when push comes to shove_

_You taste what you're made of_

_You might bend, till you break_

_Cause its all you can take_

_On your knees you look up_

_Decide you've had enough_

_You get mad you get strong_

_Wipe your hands shake it off_

_Then you Stand, Then you stand_

Then all the Foot were gone and Leo was being lifted up by his brothers. He tried to get his feet under him but a sudden shock of pain ran up his spine and through his neck. He fell back to the ground and began coughing as he continued to breath heavily.

He heard a familiar growl and a groan as a Foot ninja was picked up, more than likely by the neck.

"You-ahhhhhhh!" Leo heard the slash of a sai against flesh but didn't protest his brother's actions.

Raphael tended to get very angry at times like this and there was no stopping him unless you wanted to get hurt as well.

"Leo, open your eyes, bro please look at me," Donny pleaded with the broken form of his eldest brother.

"Leo, come on it's time to get up, you gotta wake up," Mikey said, his tears mixing with the light rain that began falling.

Leo got to his feet and looked at the scene below him. His brothers, even Raph now, were pleading and begging for his body to respond in any way. Leo frowned, would they hurry? This advanced meditation technique wouldn't stabilize his spirit for too long.

"My sons!" Splinter called as he ran out from behind a building.

He saw his eldest's broken body and flew towards it.

"Leonardo!" he called and placed a hand on his son's plastron, next to the stab wound.

His sons were already sobbing but even as a tear fell from his eye he felt something unusual in the air.

"My sons, wait it may not be what we think," he said to his other three children.

"But sensei," Donny said through his own cries, "He has no heartbeat and he's not breathing."

"Dress his wounds my son and I will show you your brother is not dead," Splinter said, his eyes hard and determined.

Don met each of his brother's eyes and then did as he was told. Leo, who was still above them sighed and closed his eyes, focusing on the feel of his spirit slipping back into his body. When he opened his eyes he was met with four relieved looks.

"LEO!" his brothers cried and practically jumped on top of him.

"I can't believe it, you're alive, but how?" Donny asked as he pulled back along with Raph while Mikey still clung onto Leo.

Leo met his father's eyes and bowed his head, "I'm sorry father, I had no choice. I would've been to far gone."

Splinter sighed and raised a hand to place it on Leo's head, "We will discuss it later my son. You know such a technique is dangerous but I believe you to be right. I am happy you were able to perform the Soul Wandering Technique."

Splinter smiled, yes the Soul Wandering Technique was very dangerous but very mystically advanced. It seemed Leonardo was well beyond the mystic training he was normally performing. Splinter mentally noted to seek out a few old scrolls he had stored away but for now, his sons were too happy to be pulled away for now, especially his youngest.

"I thought you were gone," Mikey cried as Leo wrapped his arms around him.

"No, I never left," Leo said, "I simply had to-well I'll let Master Splinter explain it when you're ready."

With that Leo was shocked to feel someone smack him on the back of the head. He turned to find Raph was glaring at him, but the tears still falling from his eyes contradicted what he said.

"DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT TO US AGAIN OR I'LL-"

Raph's voice caught and he stared at the ground, a shadow falling to hide his eyes, "Just don't get yourself killed, ever. You're not allowed to."

Leo smiled and reached out to touch Raph's hand. That was all that was needed and his red banded little brother fell on his knees beside him. Raph reached out and clung to his big brother like he was going to disappear any second.

"Leo, your shell's cracked," Don pointed out while he placed a hand on Leo's free shoulder for Mikey had his face buried in Leo's neck and Raph had claimed Leo's left shoulder as his head rest.

"It's ok, not the first time it's happened," Leo said.

"I'm gonna kill her," Raph said.

Leo held back his sigh but didn't bother to say anything to immediate little brother. There was little that could be done to change his mind.

"Let us go home, my sons," Splinter said.

Raph and Mikey helped Leo to his feet and he managed to walk without falling. Don walked in front of them all and kept looking back, that cracked piece of his brother's shell worried him greatly, that was his spine after all. Leo flashed him an understanding smile, knowing that when they got home he would be in Donny's lab going through a million tests and Don in turn would get no sleep until he was 100 percent sure Leo was ok.

_Then you stand_

* * *

Reviews please?

~Moonsetta


End file.
